Everton 0 0 Arsenal: Gunners Merseyside Trip Barren

Arsenal could not get anything more than a draw in what was Freddie Ljungberg's last match in charge as interim head coach.

Coincidentally, Duncan Ferguson also oversaw our opponents, Everton, for the final time in his brief reign as caretaker manager.

Mikel Arteta and Carlo Ancelotti who recently got appointed to take over the two respective sides watched the game from the Directors' Box. They clearly saw that they will have a lot of work to do

A side filled with youngsters like Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Martinelli, Ainsley Maitland-Niles was named to battle it out at Goodison Park. Emile Smith-Rowe got his first Premier League start in the early-kick-off fixture. That was the youngest side deployed by us since the 2010/11 season.

As fruitless as the first half was, it was one which brought out composure in our players to an extent. The level of discipline we saw in them was quite better than in recent times. Maybe they were just being conscious of Arteta's earlier statement where he made it clear that he will watch from the stands and study everyone so as to know what to do next. They were probably scared of Big Brother Arteta. Ahahaha!

We didn't slack defensively which was what made Everton resolve to whipping in crosses. Martinelli could have scored close to halftime but his strike from a classy Lucas Torreira pass went wide.

Captain Aubameyang was denied by Pickford when the Gabonese attempted a close range shot. Can't forget quickly how Calum Chambers averted a goal-bound opposition strike during a scramble in the box.

It was a goalless draw at the end with just one point to take back home. A positive was that we went without conceding for the first time in our last fifteen matches.

We are now set to begin the Arteta era with a Boxing Day visit to Bournemouth before hosting two big games in quick succession. They will be with Chelsea and Manchester United.